Valve’s new Steam Families feature is now available to all users after a beta phase that began earlier this year. With Steam Families, parents can share games with their families, manage parental controls for their kids, and approve their kids’ Steam game purchases.
The biggest advantage of Steam Families over the previous Family Sharing system is that multiple people can play games from the same library at the same time. For example, while you’re playing Balatro, your Steam Family partner can play Arranger, allowing you to both experience different games at the same time. However, if your partner wants to play the same Balatro that you’re playing, they’ll need to buy their own copy. It’s also possible to play games shared with Steam Families offline.
Valve says Steam Families are designed for “your immediate family,” with a maximum of six people in a family. Each Steam Family member will have their own saved games and achievements. Adults can leave a Steam Family at any time, but will have to wait one year after leaving before they can start a new family or join another. Children can only be removed from a family by an adult or through Steam support.
As Valve explains in a video, the old Family Sharing feature will be removed “over time,” so those using the old system are encouraged to set up new Steam Families.
To start using Steam Families, simply update your Steam, and this latest Steam update also includes a few other updates, like a revamped screenshot manager.
Steam Families make gaming more flexible within the family
The new Steam Families system aims to make the gaming experience more flexible among family members. The ability for multiple users to play different games at the same time is a great convenience, especially for large families. The option to play games offline also allows you to continue enjoying the game even when your internet connection is limited.
Additionally, each family member can keep their own achievements and game logs, eliminating the risk of users losing their personal game progress and achievements, allowing family members to experience games with greater freedom.
These innovations brought by Valve with Steam Families allow users to share their game libraries more easily with their loved ones, while also providing parents with the opportunity to monitor their children’s gaming habits.